Users decided on Windows Vista until 7 rolls around should be happy today: Service Pack 2 (SP2) is released.

In addition to incorporating all previous updates, SP2 contains changes "focused on supporting new types of hardware and adding support for several emerging standards." On the IT side, administrators will now find it easier to deploy and manage large installations of Vista and its accompanying Windows Server 2008.

Prerequisites will be simple for most: your version of Windows Server 2008 or Vista must have SP1 installed. Note if you're updating through Windows Update/WSUS, a separate update to the servicing stack must first be installed -- this handles installation and removal of software updates and other features, and is necessary to successfully install and uninstall the new pack, and with maximum performance and reliability. Lastly, if you're making use of the vLite utility for the move, you may get an error -- details here.

If receiving through Windows Update, which downloads only the changed data, you're looking at a 43 MB file set; those going for the standalone set will be at 302 or 390 MB (five or seven languages) on x86 systems (link), and 508 or 622 MB (five or 36 languages) on x64s (link).

Upon successful installation it is strongly advised to run the Service Pack Clean-up tool -- just run command prompt and enter compcln.exe.

For the list of highlighted changes and improvements, hit up the source below where you can also find a link to the full list of hotfixes and security updates. For a quick list, though, have this: removal of half open outbound TCP connections limit, ability to record to Blu-ray disc, and 'improved' content protection for TV in Windows Media Center.

Enjoy!